NCJ Number
121277
Date Published
1989
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Research on the nature of police patrol work shows that the largest portion of patrol officers' time is uncommitted and that officers vary greatly in how they use this time.
Abstract
Analyses of patrol work have used information from calls to police departments, calls radioed to patrol officers, dispatch records, activity sheets, and direct observations of patrol activities. The analyses show that after the uncommitted time, the next greatest use of time is for administrative chores. Their other activities consist of efforts related to crime, traffic, disorders, and services. The mix of activities varies from place to place and from time to time. However, contrary to the common view, the crime-related and enforcement-related activities far exceed the service-related portion. Current trends, such as directed patrol and differential responses to calls for service, may increase the amount of time related to crime and enforcement, although the widespread adoption of community-oriented policing could have the opposite effect. 23 references.